Thursday, 28 April 2011

I couldn't see a crooked birch but it lives on in the house gate sign. They specialise in horse riding holidays here, many bridleways to trot along and panoramic views of the hills in this quiet corner of the Lake District.

Tuesday, 26 April 2011

An ancient oak, with an opening, or perhaps a gate. In Celtic mythology the oak is the tree of doors, the gateway between worlds, a portal. Its strength and longevity making it a thing of myth. I wonder how old this tree is? There are ways of measuring their girth and estimating their age, but because it is hollow and has gnarled roots, these are signs that it may be hundreds of years old.

Oak avenue in Levens Park, originally a mile long carriage drive to Levens Hall (famous for its topiary gardens dating back to 1694). It is now a popular stroll by the River Kent, some of the older trees are further on, these look in rude health.There are some wonderful trees in the park, it is a walk for all seasons.

But here is an oak tree just starting out in life and festooned in oak flowers. The wind will spread the pollen, a sunny warm and breezy spring, which we are having at the moment, means that there will be many acorns in the autumn. A wet spring washes the pollen into the ground and then the flowers do not catch the pollen they need to swell into acorns. The main oak here in the north is the sessile (Quercus petraea), it is smaller and has a narrower crown than the large southern English oak (Quercus robur). One way to tell them apart is the English oak acorns have stalks, whereas the sessile do not and sit directly on the twig.

At this point I was going to show the acorns, however my memory had played tricks on me , the photo I was thinking of was actually of hazels, a tastier, and safer, option, also by coincidence my Celtic tree birth sign. The hazel is the knower, obviously not in this instance. If you are born between 10th June and 7th July then the oak, the stabiliser, is your sign, strong but gentle.

Overat ABC Wednesday there are lots more words starting with the letterO

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Just down the road from Natland is the village of Endmoor and their millennium clock and a little bit of nature surrounding it. What time is it, well look at the numbers. Maybe after a good lunch it will be time to have

a cat nap. Not that this is anywhere near any of the other photographs today for it is way south in the quaint town of Rye. But back on home ground and the

navigable part of Lancaster Canal. Part of the far northern reach is dry because it was cut across by a motorway, but for years there have been plans for it to be re-watered and brought back into navigation, not in my life time I suspect, but it is still pleasant to walk the banks. This weekend the season for sailing in a

nifty nautical barge, which has been laid up for winter, will now be taken up and down the canal by the Lancaster Canal Trust. If the weather keeps as warm as it has been this week it will be a popular and pleasant trip. I wonder if the weather will bring nymphs and naiadsout on the water, perhaps only the insect variety.

Nip across to ABC Wednesday where there are lots more words starting with N

Friday, 15 April 2011

Winifred Catherine Wilks (nee Gardner), my Auntie Winnie, She had a love of life, a love of singing, a love of people and a love of quilting and was a member of so many societies too numerous to list. Her service of remembrance took place in Settle Parish Church on a grey Yorkshire day but the singing in the packed church sent her off in style, the organ thundered and the voices rose, Guide me, O thou great Redeemer and one of my favourites, Jerusalem. She was remembered with sadness and with humour. We journeyed on to the crematorium some 17 miles away and we, and my cousins following, only lost the hearst once, not bad. A prayer and a meditation from the vicar in the chapel, who had previously said that he fully expects her to arrive in heaven singing and organising the choir, and maybe patch the angels wings with a quilt square. She had a deep faith, the thought would have appealed to her. The coffin disappeared as we quietly contemplated and then the singing of Oklahoma (her favourite musical) rang through the small chapel. She would have loved that touch, I can hear her laughing.

Wednesday, 13 April 2011

This is on a garage door in a backstreet near a very small car car park, in the middle of the town where I live. I had never seen it before until taking a short cut during the snow earlier in the year.

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Now what could I find for this week's letter? I rooted round some this years photographs and found in a recent visit to Preston I had taken a photograph of the windows ( and balcony) of the Victorian Italianate terracotta façade of the Miller Arcade. The Victorian were fond of balconies so there is one on the end

of the building, suitably ornate. The British Listed Buildings site describes the arcade as being of "an eclectic style with some Moorish elements". This is probably because until the mid 20th century it had a Turkish Baths on the first floor. The entrance to it was blocked up when it was turned into offices.

In a previous visit before Christmas I had taken a view of the interior of the Miller Arcade, well actually it was the stained glass in the windows, but being a gloomy winter afternoon they did not appear in the photograph as they had to the eye. I had a search to see if I could snaffle someone's superior camera work but no luck, however the Lancashire County Council site does have one which shows off

its roof. The building was modelled after the Burlington Arcade in London, however this Preston version got an award in 1895 that may be perceived as rather niche for the 'best planned fire-proof arcade', so rest easy if you are shopping here.

Mooch over to ABC Wednesday where there will be lots more words starting with the letter M